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- If my school district is implementing a voluntary plan, what information does it need to include in an application?
- If my district is implementing a voluntary plan that has been previously approved by ED, does my district need to get the plan approved again with this application?
- My school district's voluntary plan has not yet been approved by ED. Does the school district need to get a plan approved by ED before it submits a MSAP application in order to be considered?
- Our district will only be able to implement the magnet schools proposed in our application if the school district actually receives an award. Must our school board resolution commit us to implementing the plan even if we do not receive funding?
- In our voluntary plan, is it permissible to use race as a criterion in the selection of students in order to achieve the MSAP purpose of reducing, eliminating or preventing minority group isolation?
- Are there any circumstances under which a minority group isolated school could increase its minority student enrollment percentage without making the plan ineligible?
- If the project includes an existing magnet school that is being revised and seeks to reduce minority group isolation, is there anything special that we need to provide or consider with respect to the enrollment data we submit?
1. If my school district is implementing a voluntary plan, what information does it need to include in an application?
An applicant submitting a voluntary plan must include in its application:
- A copy of a school board resolution or other evidence of final official action adopting and implementing the plan, or agreeing to adopt and implement the plan upon the award of assistance.
- Enrollment and other information as required by the regulations at §280.20(f) and (g). Enrollment data and information are critical to the determination of an applicant's eligibility under a voluntary plan.
2. If my district is implementing a voluntary plan that has been previously approved by ED, does my district need to get the plan approved again with this application?
A voluntary plan must be approved by ED each time an application is submitted for funding. Even if ED has approved a voluntary plan in an LEA in the past, the plan must be resubmitted for approval as part of the application.
TOP3. My school district's voluntary plan has not yet been approved by ED. Does the school district need to get a plan approved by ED before it submits a MSAP application in order to be considered?
No. The plan must be submitted to ED for approval as part of the application.
TOP4. Our district will only be able to implement the magnet schools proposed in our application if the school district actually receives an award. Must our school board resolution commit us to implementing the plan even if we do not receive funding?
No. As described in 34 CFR 280.20(f)(2) the school board resolution or other evidence of final official action may be either a school board resolution or other evidence of final official action adopting and implementing the plan, or agreeing to adopt and implement it upon the award of assistance under this part.
TOP5. In our voluntary plan, is it permissible to use race as a criterion in the selection of students in order to achieve the MSAP purpose of reducing, eliminating or preventing minority group isolation?
All voluntary plans proposed in an LEA’s application must be adequate under Title VI. The Department believes that LEAs submitting voluntary plans can achieve the statutory purposes of reducing, eliminating, or preventing minority group isolation using race neutral admissions practices. The United States Supreme Court is expected to provide additional guidance about the use of race in voluntary plans in two cases prior to the award of FY 2007 grants. The Department will examine the implications of those decisions on the MSAP program when making FY 2007 awards.
TOP6. Are there any circumstances under which a minority group isolated school could increase its minority student enrollment percentage without making the plan ineligible?
A voluntary plan is a plan to reduce, eliminate, or prevent minority group isolation (MGI), either at a magnet school or at a feeder school -- a school from which students are drawn to attend the magnet school. Under §280.2, the establishment of the magnet school cannot result in an increase in MGI at a magnet school or any feeder school above the districtwide Percentage of minority group students at the grade levels served by the magnet school. The following example illustrates these concepts.
School District A has a districtwide Percentage of 65.5 percent for its minority student population in elementary schools. School District A has six elementary schools with the following minority student populations:
- School A -- 67 percent.
- School B -- 58 percent.
- School C -- 64 percent.
- School D -- 76 percent.
- School E -- 47 percent.
- School F -- 81 percent.
District A has five minority group isolated schools, i.e., five schools with minority student enrollment of over 50 percent. District A seeks funding to establish a magnet program at School F to reduce MGI at that school. For District A to be eligible for a grant, the establishment of the magnet program at School F should not increase the minority student enrollment at feeder school C to more than 65.5 percent (the districtwide Percentage). Also, the establishment of the magnet program should not increase the minority student enrollment at feeder schools A or D at all because those schools are already above the districtwide Percentage for minority students. If projected enrollments at a magnet or feeder school indicate that there will be an increase in MGI, District A should provide an explanation in its application for the increase that shows it is not caused by the establishment of the magnet program. See the discussion below.
An applicant that proposes to establish new magnet schools must submit projected data for each magnet and feeder school that show that the magnet schools and all feeders will maintain eligibility for the entire three-year period of the grant.
TOP7. If the project includes an existing magnet school that is being revised and seeks to reduce minority group isolation, is there anything special that we need to provide or consider with respect to the enrollment data we submit?
In situations where the applicant intends to reduce minority isolation in an existing magnet program, whether in the magnet school or in one or more of the feeder schools, and minority isolation has increased, the applicant must provide data and information to demonstrate that the increase was not due to the applicant's magnet program, in accordance with §280.20(g). See the following examples.
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